


between the ground and sky

by cheesycheese



Category: Samurai Champloo
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Canon Compliant, M/M, mostly - Freeform, no idea what im doin' here, slow-ish build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 05:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3755737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesycheese/pseuds/cheesycheese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jin doesn't believe in fate or destiny, but then that might explain why they seem to have it in for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	between the ground and sky

Fireflies, fireflies, a passing thought and the surprise when the thought is actually spoken aloud- and not by himself.

Could I, should I, would I? There is a 'yes' to only one, and he stands quickly, the sudden air cold against his skin where a few seconds earlier there had only been warm water.

The bugs shouldn't be so bright when the moon is shining.

Maybe it's the difference in the light.

Moonlight is quiet, and the fireflies lights seem loud and obnoxious.

 

An invitation of an entirely different sort, and he feels his ring finger twitch just slightly. He silently yells at himself for leaving someone - apparently capable if somewhat reckless - alone and unconscious and unable to defend themselves.

He has no attachment to the girl, but there is a debt, reluctant as it may be, so that is the reason, combined with his irritation, a surge of caution, and the feeling of being mocked in an unfamiliar way that makes him the first to draw his sword.

 

Ho wonders, between each dodge and almost parry, if he should consider himself lucky that this fight didn't happen naked in a hot spring, where he suspects he may have been propositioned by the assassin currently attempting to kill him.

He blames the girl and the scarecrow. This sort of thing never happened until he ran into them.

It would have been unfortunate to spoil the spring water with blood.

 

The girl talks, almost to herself, not expecting a response of any sort, and he dislikes the sudden feeling of camaraderie when the quick gestures brings him to Mugen's side.

He also dislikes the arm around his neck that drags him closer, but doesn’t feel like starting another argument regarding personal space. Mugen’s arm is making his sweaty hair stick to the back of his neck and Jin tries to grab onto his hilt as casually as possible to avoid breaking his nose at the uncomfortable feeling.

It occurs to him that he might be more than a little bit stressed at this point.

"We split. The one chatterbox follows is the one who deals with the skyflower," Mugen says briskly, before making a break down the narrow path.

Jin thinks he took a few strands of hair with him, and rubs carefully at the hair at his temple.

Baths would be nice.

 

It's not the first time he has put on face paint and borrowed a dress, but it is the first time he has had to  _infiltrate a brothel_.

He desperately resists the urge to scrub at his face. Far from being embarrassed at being seen, he thinks he can feel the paint smudging and he wants to scratch at his face with his nails.

 Jin is just as surprised as the girl appears to when she is shoved inside the betting room, but he feels some admiration at the way she handles the dice with - and in ordinary circumstances would be more than a little worrying - obvious skill.

Less than five minutes later, and the entire room is in chaos. Jin is starting to think it's becoming a habit- a side effect of the three of them being in close quarters.

 

It's incredibly easy to rile the girl up and disturbing how easily the two work together to accomplish it when they're both feeling particularly vindictive.

Mugen's sense of humor seems to rely mostly on timing and shock, which lucky for him, is something that he excels at.

Jin is fairly certain at least that he has a brain to mouth filter- Mugen's eyes are dark but by no means shallow.

 

Jin feels a surge of anger, directed to, of all things, Mugen's _knees._ They're bony, and scarred, and his gate and stride are uneven. He moves carelessly.

It's probably the reason he's alive, or at least part of the reason. People either view him as an easy target, or not even worth it. Jin pities those who makes the mistake of underestimating him, bony ankles and all.

 

There is hay down the back of Jin's pants, and the only reason he hasn't forcibly retrieved his sword and killed Mugen (it is Mugen's fault, just like everything is Mugen's fault, and Jin will stand trial in order to prove it) is that Mugen looks just as unhappy, and just as uncomfortable as he does hip jerk and wiggle and hay falls from the bottom of his trousers.

It's satisfying to see someone else suffering, if nothing else.

Fuu looks like she is about to cry, and runs around a corner pulling down the front of her yukata. They both hear a whispered wail about hay going places, and, with a glance, agree to stay out of it.

 

He can't help the soft snort of laughter at the foreigners shock at finding the play lead a man, but doesn't stop the sympathy for his story, even as he unknowingly opens his mouth to clarify the foreigner’s assumption that Japan is welcoming towards those of differing sexuality.

He's almost grateful that he is interrupted, particularly as he notices Fuu staring at him with one eyebrow raised. 

 

Jin feels a reluctance to killing Mugen, pain in the ass that he is. Jin wonders if it has something to do with being tortured- an alliance in unlikely places born of necessity.

Torture has a tendency to do that, or so he assumes.

 

Mugen starts calling Jin 'emperor' or 'my lord' with a grin.

Mugen also calls him 'stick-up-your-ass' although he doesn't look quite as friendly whenever that one comes out.

While walking over a valley, Jin pushes him off the side of a small cliff.

It takes half an hour for him to climb back up.

Jin decides that a temporary retreat would probably be a good idea, and makes a point to stay out of arms reach, with a few extra meters between them just to be safe.

 

Jin will not, _will not_ , tell Mugen to be careful. He absolutely will not say ‘don’t die’ or anything else that might make his attachment obvious.

He's almost afraid that Mugen would laugh at him if he were to find out that Jin considers him to be a friend.

He tells Mugen that he is the one who will kill him, and what Jin means is that he is the only one allowed to kill Mugen.

He wonders if Mugen hears it the way he means it.

 

 

An arm against his throat, and dark angry eyes underneath surprisingly long lashes. "You piss me off. You always look at the ground when you walk. I'm surprised you don't run into into anything." Jin says nothing. He doesn't think Mugen is going to kill him. Mugen's other hand is not near his hilt, or even the hip his sword rests against, and he can still breath so he doesn't move to fight back. Mugen scoffs, a quick push of his forearm against Jin's windpipe, and then he walks away, still talking carelessly over his shoulder,

"You won't get anywhere if you're always looking at the ground instead of ahead."

Jin stares after him, and wonders if it is the lack of air, or maybe just _Mugen_ that makes him feel as if everything and nothing makes sense anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually haven't even finished the show yet so. Sorry if that's painfully obvious, and please don't hesitate to tell me what you think.
> 
> UPDATE:  
> I've essentially quit watching anime, and unfortunately this is one that I did not complete so it it officially discontinued. I may update if I ever manage to finish but that doesn't seem likely at this point. I really enjoyed writing what I did of this, so my apologies for that.


End file.
